Where are the voters?

Few turn out for elections

Posted: Saturday, April 28, 2007

Sean Thomassean.thomas@amarillo.com

The 2005 constitutional amendment vote only grabbed the attention of about 29,000 voters in Potter and Randall counties. Statewide only about 18 percent of voters participated, about the same percent in Potter County.

Voter experts are expecting much the same results this year for the May 12 election.

Reed Welch, an associate professor of political science at West Texas A&M University, said the voter turnout this year will be even lower. Welch said in 2005 a same-sex marriage issue sparked attention, while this year there aren't controversial issues.

Welch said the amendment coinciding with a city election will help bolster voter turnout.

** 30,954 - Number of voters who participated in May election 2005 More

In the last city election in May 2005, 30 percent of registered voters turned out for the election.

Welch said presidential elections and statewide elections will garner more votes, but that it doesn't make sense.

"The city elections, who you elect as mayor and your city commission, in a lot of ways they have a more direct impact on your day-to-day life. The presidential election, your one vote is probably not going to swing the vote," Welch said. "You have more voting power in a local election than you do in a state election."

But exactly why voters don't turn up boils down to apathy.

"I think that's what you could say about it. Absolute apathy. People don't want to get involved," said Barbara Cheek, past president of the Amarillo League of Women Voters. "If they do, they think they don't know enough to get involved. A lot of people are doing OK and don't think that (voting) can do them any good."

Others place the lack of participation on education.

"We have a country that encourages a democratic approach to voting, to elections. The fact that it is so casual, as far as the voters are concerned, is sort of a sad story," said John Tyson, chairman of the Randall County Republican Party. "I wish that our civic classes in high school would encourage voting."

But Welch said it is simply a matter of age.

"It's nothing new. In the 1970s, that generation is voting more (now) than when they were first getting the right to vote in the '70s," Welch said. "(The younger generation) may be less engaged in the political system, but they are not less engaged in the community. They are participating. They are involved. They just don't necessarily care about politics ... I would expect the younger generation as they age are going to do the same thing as previous generations - they will become more involved with the political system."